Miniature Dachshund Puppies for Sale: Plenty of Options in a Small Package

Dachshunds are not large dogs, but the minis have an added charm for owners who love small breeds. Much tinier than the Standard, Miniature Dachshund puppies for sale are excellent for active families who live in the city and want a lively and loving pet. Although not ideal for young kids, mini Dachshunds are great for seniors, older children, singles, couples, and large families. Well-socialized dogs make suitable housemates for other small dogs and even cats.

Overview of Mini Dachshund

Dachshunds were developed in Germany to hunt badgers. They were crossbred with other breeds like the Miniature Pinscher and others to both standardize coat types and produce a smaller dog in the mini Dachshund in the 1500s.

Three Types of Miniature Dachshunds Puppies for Sale Near Me

The American Kennel recognizes two size variants of Dachshunds. They are this Standard Dachshund and the Miniature or mini Dachshund. Standards are eight or nine inches tall at the shoulders and weigh 15 to 32 pounds. Minis are only five or six inches tall and weigh less than eleven pounds. Other than size, the breed standard is consistent between the two types. Miniature Dachshunds were bred to a smaller size to hunt rabbits in contrast to their larger cousins that cornered badgers and hunted wild boars. The FCI also recognizes the rabbit Dachshund, a size variant used in Europe also to hunt rabbits and hares. In these dogs, which are not Toys, chest measurements are of utmost importance. In Germany, a rabbit or kaninchen Dachshund must be under 7.7 pounds with a chest circumference of under 11.8 inches. Miniatures are less than 13.8 inches in chest girth. Chest size correlates directly with the size of the prey's burrow.

Breed Standard of Dachshund

Dachshunds come in two size varieties in the US, and both have three coat types.

• Smooth - short harsh coat, high gloss
• Wire-haired - may look smooth-coated at first appearance but has dense wiry hairs springing from smooth undercoat
• Long haired mini Dachshund - moderately long outer hairs with an undercoat

A long haired mini Dachshund does not have a uniform coat. The hair should be longer behind the ears, on the belly and chest, and on the backs of the legs. Long fringes should give the tail a flag effect.

• Head - tapers from rather broad head to the nose; muzzle fine but strong
• Powerful jaws for size
• Eyes - medium-sized and almond-shaped; very dark except in dapples which can have blue eyes
• Ears - medium-length, rounded, hanging
• Deep chest
• Powerful forequarters
• Curves from croup - not carried too high
• Long low-slung body, level topline

Colors

Miniature Dachshund puppies for sale can come in a wide variety of coat colors. Tan- or cream-pointed dogs have the named markings similar to Dobermans above each eye, across the chest, inside the front legs, and on the inner ears, cheeks, and throat. Merle pups of the breed are known as miniature dapple Dachshund puppies.

• Dapple - a merle or dapple Dachshund is a uniform mix of any of the acceptable colors; while you often think of merle as white and black or white and red in breeds like the Australian Shepherd, the Dachshund can also be black and brown and other mixes as long as the different shades show even distribution
• Piebald - a significant amount of white; colors are not intermixed with the white as they would be in a dapple mini Dachshund
• Solid red
• Solid cream - cream involves dilution factors that lighten the yellow and red pigments in a dog's coat
• Black & tan, black & cream
• Sable - red dog has dark overlay which represents hairs with multiple color bands, lighter at the base and darker at the tips; an uncommon color for the breed, sable is most often seen in the mini Dachshund longhair
• Wild boar & tan - wild boar is an agouti pattern whereby the hairs are banded and give the dog a grizzled look; most common in wire-haired variety
• Chocolate & tan - would-be black areas are liver-colored
• Gray (blue) & tan - dilution gene works on black pigment giving it a steel gray to bluish color; blue & cream
• Brindle - striped appearance; darker bands on a lighter base
• Fawn (actually Isabella) & tan, fawn & cream

Temperament

A Dachshund's temperament is typical of a hound. Miniature Dachshunds are active, lively, humorous, and intelligent. They have a loud baying voice that may surprise you and thus make excellent watchdogs. Despite their initial suspicion of strangers, Miniature Dachshunds tend to warm to people quickly and are quite friendly and outgoing. Minis enjoy playing but can become stressed and snappy from rough play with careless or clumsy young ones. Moreover, their small frame makes them susceptible to injury. Dachshunds were accustomed to working in packs in their early development and usually get along with other dogs. You should use caution with large dogs as the Miniature Dachshund can be easily harmed. At home, the Doxie is loving, somewhat needy, loyal, and protective. If left alone she will develop back habits such as barking, howling, and digging.

Lifespan of  the Mini Dachshund

Minis have a life expectancy of 12 to 16 years although some have been known to live until the ripe age of 20 years.

Teacup Miniature Dachshund

The mini teacup Dachshund, also known as a toy miniature Dachshund, is an exceptionally small representative of the breed. A teacup Miniature Dachshund is only six inches or less at the shoulders and weighs under 8 pounds. Breeders can produce them by random chance or through careful selection, breeding only the tiniest dogs. The size variant is not recognized by the AKC or other major registries and is prone to a variety of health problems.

• Organ failure - kidneys, heart, liver
• Portosystemic shunt - major blood vessel bypasses the liver
• Hypoglycemia - low blood sugar which the dog has trouble maintaining

Caring for Miniature Dachshund Puppies for Sale

Dachshunds have high demands for attention but low maintenance requirements.

• Brushing - strip a wire-haired every 3 to 6 months, brush smooth-haired weekly, brush long-haired twice weekly
• Check ears every other day, clean every couple of weeks
• Bathe every 6 to 8 weeks
• Do not allow to jump onto or down from extremely high surfaces
• Feed meat from animal sources and high-quality fat or oils; talk to your veterinarian about which if any carbohydrate to use (grains, legumes, veggies, fruits, potatoes, yams)
• Calories - 32 to 25 per pound of body weight daily; growing puppies require 40 to 80 calories per pound of body weight daily
• Exercise - 30 to 40 minutes daily; break up into 2 sessions; make sure to add training, socialization, and other forms of mental enrichment (games, puzzles)
• Training - Dachshunds are smart but can be easily distracted; need firm leadership, a sense of purpose, and repetition; respond well to food rewards